That big wave of red certainly makes it look like a historically significant period piece.

I had been operating on the assumption that this was a prequel, since that's what The Goddamn Frank Miller has been talking about over the years, but no - there's Lena Headey, here's dead Gerard Butler...this is a sequel. I am disappointed not to see any strange ogres, hunchbacks or giant mutant elephants, but Xerxes' face looks plastic surgerier.

The original is always fun to look at, but strangely, I feel almost nothing about this trailer. Watch it after the jump and tell me if I'm missing anything. (I already saw Eva Green sex scenes in The Dreamers.)

The first three paragraphs happen in real time, a nice sequence of actions by Claude, the spectator in the raincoat, and the soldier. The fourth paragraph downshifts into super slow motion. It takes 29 words to describe one punch to the jaw. Shaw is breaking the rules here. What's his game?

Shaw's game is to give us a surreal little moment before the storm. It's the pause of the roller-coaster at the top of the tracks, just before the crazy descent. It's like the slow-motion clips in the old Kung Fu TV series. That's his game.

And it works. Because up till now, we weren't sure how well Tommy can fight. Now we see that he's a dangerous little snake. Tommy is in that mystical zone, where he sees the other guy moving like a glacier, where defeat is unthinkable.

The Eva Green sex scenes in the Dreamers were kinda marred by the whole creepiness factor, though. Just sayin'. I actually guess I am more interested in a sequel than a prequel, just didn't seem to be much to explain that should have happened before the movie.

Doesn't look all that bad, but one thing that comes to mind is that how much Frank Miller imagery will prop it up. 300 had the comic to work from I have only see a bit of the Xerxes preview from the first issue of Dark Horse Presents #1 years ago(has it been years?). I may check it out.

Themistocles' story is much more interesting than Leonidas' in my opinion.

AND ARTEMISIA! WOOO-HOOO! Sadly history knows very little about this shrewd kick ass naval commander. Looks like here they are going to lay the entire blame for the destruction of the Persian fleet at her feet. Which sucks. Greeks loved demonizing foreign women so it makes a certain sense. She only had five ships and took out almost twenty of the Greek ships and got away after it turned into a rout.

Hopefully we'll get a killer documentary cash in like the History Channel did last time with Last Stand of the 300... hopefully.

@James.k.Polkthat synchronized periods thing actually happens, saw it first hand in Boot Camp... kinda. I was in the first integrated male/female company - good old I001. Actually I only know because they told me. Frankly I'm oblivious enough that I never know if people are under duress of any kind.

That brings up Gabby. GABBY! There was talk that she flubbed that shot because it was her time of the month. Say it ain't so Gabby. GABBY!